Chapter 92 "The House-Viewing Man" Jian Xiang is probably secretly seeing a handsome guy...
By the way, Ah-Chi's sister also said that they are not allowed to visit Ah-Chi at the mental hospital. This is because he is currently staying at St. Mary's Mental Hospital, which Google says is a semi-closed church hospital with many well-known Catholic doctors in Hong Kong. In terms of environment, it is at least less likely to be tormented by vengeful ghosts. However, the videotape is still on Ah-Chi. Is he really safe for now?
Jian Dieda tried to communicate with the family. He told Sister Azhi that they had filmed some unusual paranormal scenes yesterday. These images sometimes had ghostly entities attached to them. If it was convenient, he would take the video away and destroy it quickly.
Ah-Zhi's sister didn't understand what nonsense he was spouting. Her younger brother had suffered a psychological trauma that left him with deep scars. He should be healed by Bible stories. What ghost video? She thought it was some Hong Kong ghost story or a Sadako movie.
Jian Dieda was so angry at the scolding that he almost got an ear infection, and he hurriedly hung up the phone. But even the family's threat to report him to the company couldn't deter Jian Dieda's desire to protect Azhi. He could already foresee how difficult things would be, and looking thoughtfully at the pork chop bun on the table, he said, "Sorry, senior sister, I messed up the negotiation, and Azhi sister hung up."
They hadn't eaten by noon, and Liao Xinjie was pulling him to sit with her at the famous Hua Jie Ice Room while they waited for their meal. The person paying for the meal had become Jian Dieda, whose personality had drastically changed.
Today is actually a weekday, and the people queuing at this place every day are mostly from mainland China and couples going to school.
Liao Xinjie didn't know what had happened. Seeing that Jian Dieda had smoked two or three cigarettes in an hour, she assumed he was worried about Azhi's safety. She kindly comforted him, "Axiang, how about I go to St. Mary's Hospital to check on him? Azhi's sister doesn't know me. Anyway, don't overwork yourself."
Upon hearing this, Jian Dieda's heart skipped a beat. He didn't like women, but he was also moved by friendship, so he put down the printed information on a CD. This information summarized the covers of "First Love" in the music scene over the past thirty years. He found the version produced by Shengtian Entertainment, but strangely, the singer's name was still not listed online. If you asked Liao Xinjie, a young woman like her might not even know such an old song.
The bespectacled man didn't give up on catching the midnight pervert. He first nodded to his senior sister, then used a spoon to crush the salted lemon that had just been brought up and gave it to her to drink, which was considered as agreeing to their ghost-catching plan of splitting up for one time.
Seeing this, Liao Xinjie pinched the straw shyly, deliberately taking a small sip and pretending to be a demure and refined girl.
Jane adjusted her glasses and asked curiously, "Isn't this iced lemon tea good?"
Liao Xinjie coughed in a panic: "No, why are you asking me that?"
Jian Dieda: "No, I just remembered that my master said you drank like a cow when you were a child, downing everything in one gulp, and ate like you were fighting a battle, thumping and clanging your lunchbox."
Liao Xinjie laughed and punched him, "I'll hit you! I'm not like that! You're the one who's delicate like a girl, and I'm the one who acts like both brother and sister, okay?"
Jane nodded and said, "You are my family, and I am your younger brother."
Liao Xinjie's expression turned sour. She sincerely hoped to be able to help her junior brother more in the future because Ah Xiang had never complained like others since he was a child. But now that her junior brother was saying this, wasn't he telling her that the two of them would not have any ambiguous relationship and would only be family and friends?
Liao Xinjie's mind went blank, and she started to overthink. Suddenly, she solved another case. Because she suddenly imagined the scene she saw at Jian Dieda's house at eight o'clock in the morning, she instantly switched into a love detective and saw through the secret inside Jian Dieda's body.
"So that's how it is! My junior brother already has someone in his life. Was I just being delusional? Oh my god! I'm so embarrassed!" Liao Xinjie was internally devastated. "Who is this jerk?! My junior brother is so amazing, smart, cute, and popular. I won't let some ordinary guy steal his good fortune!"
Jian Dieda was unaware that his senior sister had already seen through his reason for "overwork." He had official business to attend to in the afternoon and was worried that he would be too hungry to have the energy to order a bowl of roast goose rice noodles.
Seeing this, Liao Xinjie stood up and said, "I'll order for you." She picked up her bag and went to the window to find a waiter, but the moment she stepped out, she sensed a long-haired man walking past the door. Most of the passersby on the street weren't particularly dressed, but this man's hairstyle resembled that of an artist in a Japanese pictorial magazine, and his appearance was that of a superstar who would stand out in the crowd at first glance, especially reminiscent of an early manga protagonist by Rumiko Takahashi. But strangely, as he passed by the roast goose stall, bathed in sunlight, no one looked up to notice the handsome man kissed by the sun in broad daylight. Only Liao Xinjie, in a daze, turned her head and noticed that he had also bought a cup of iced lemon tea. Then, as if there was a wall in the trembling daytime air, the long-haired man crossed the road alone, concealing his impure motives of deliberately following someone. This mysterious shadow completely disappeared.
Liao Xinjie immediately ran back, grabbing her junior brother and saying she had just seen a handsome guy who looked like an archangel at the entrance. Jian Dieda had absolutely no recollection of angels or saints. The senior sister was distressed, thinking that her junior brother had a third eye, yet his eyesight was like that of a blind person. Later, after they finished lunch, Jian Dieda continued to give his senior sister a lot of warnings about being on the phone and paying attention to safety at all times, without saying a single ambiguous word between them.
After his senior sister left the Hua Jie Tea Restaurant, Jian Dieda didn't tell her that he was going to perform the ritual alone. He really didn't want to drag anyone else into this karmic retribution. Liao Xinjie didn't like him either, and he couldn't bear this kind of love that didn't belong to him.
He watched as Liao Xinjie got on the black motorcycle and drove away.
Jane picked up her briefcase and wiped her glasses. She had arranged to go to the Mong Kok Police Station that afternoon to talk to the super annoying fat guy Paul had mentioned.
This process will inevitably involve dialogue between the character and the player.
With Paul as a reference, Jian Dieda did a decent job of putting on a good show. Liu Sir felt that Jian Xiang's appearance had changed. Compared to the sycophantic man who was all looks and no substance, this man in a suit looked much more appealing. So he generously gave him 30+ points of goodwill and a special encrypted ledger.
Liu Sir said, "Mike, you're so young, well-behaved, and sensible, and you have such a great figure. You have to be careful of that old man's lewd advances. Ever since his wife died, he's been taking folk remedies and tonics all the time, eating things like black chicken and human fetuses. He's a typical case of someone who can't deny getting old."
Later, he instructed that Mr. Qiao would be meeting with Jian Dieda soon to treat him to a meal. Jian Dieda gave a perfunctory smile and replied indifferently, "I will try my best to keep Mr. Qiao company then."
Liu Sir looked unhappy, his expression a mixture of expectation and resentment, and he poked out a hint of unease: "What about me?"
Jane Dieda mimicked the men who used to look at apartments, whispering sweet nothings to cheer him up, while her leather shoes under the table seemed to be playing hard to get, kicking away the dead pig's head: "I will miss you, provided that I am willing, I am happy, and then we can all be happy together."
That evening, he went to find the building's old neighbor, the security guard, and Sun Guofu was startled again. He was on the night shift and hadn't expected to run into Jian Dieda. The two looked at each other's hands, and Uncle Guofu noticed that the young man in the suit was carrying a leather case used by Master Namo for exorcising demons. This man hadn't given up on catching ghosts after all.
Sun Guofu said angrily, "You didn't bring Xin Jie to your death again, so you still have some basic human decency!"
Jian Dieda stated his position to the male NPC: "She is my family. Brother Wen taught me how to do things before. I will not harm her."
[“Ding! Current plot progress 30%! Sun Guofu, the security guard at Jiali Building, has gained +10 favorability points! The Haunted House Real Estate Agency Night Management System has been successfully activated!”]
"...You look like you're possessed, Jian Xiang. I really hope you're not playing any tricks this time..." Sun Guofu's attitude softened as expected, and his words revealed the protagonist's various past offenses. Little did he know that Jian Dieda's soul had truly changed.
Before Jane arrived, she was still helping Paul brush off his work progress inquiries and declining a business dinner. In her eyes, the plot was already a mess, and now there was an unexpected side quest: her company was secretly dealing with property rights issues in the Walled City. The information said that Paul's boss, Uncle Joe, wanted to take over his old family home, so Jane was probably the first long-time resident to know that the Walled City might be slated for demolition.
He can already imagine how Brother Wen will drag his senior sister along to insult him.
But this is the future development path of the entire Hong Kong real estate brokerage industry. Just like the news wall covered with rental house labels in that ice cream parlor during the day, they reflect the current situation of ordinary people and the news in the newspapers about the rich selling land to short the housing bubble. They constitute a certain trend of this era. But he will not harm good people. He creates exclusive strategies with his own gameplay. This is the true spirit of a gamer with a good sense of positioning.
Jane asked him, "Do you know Uncle Joe?"
Sun Guofu was stunned; he looked extremely frightened.
Everyone in Hong Kong knows who Mr. Qiao is, but when this person is mentioned in the Garley Building, the first rumor that comes to Sun Guofu's mind is a certain Hong Kong ghost story associated with him. Legend has it that Mr. Qiao's first wife also died here, and she was even made into a movie comparable to Bloody Mary by a famous director. It is said that this heiress was addicted to plastic surgery and ate baby placenta in order to maintain her youth, which is why she suffered such karmic retribution.
Jane Dieda's intuition was spot on. When he first saw the background of this story, he already felt that the rumors might not be true. Coincidentally, he knew that Sun Guofu had worked in the building for a long time. At this moment, although the security guard still maintained a dejected expression, he still gave a surprising answer based on the kindness deep in his heart.
"The lady on the 7th floor... was a really good person. She died a terrible death, and nobody knows it to this day."
Sun Guofu showed a very sympathetic and pained expression and began to recount his early days working in the building. This had to start with his first job. At that time, before the biggest fire in the Garley Building, he applied for a position as a bodyguard for the artists of Shengtian Entertainment, the capital behind the largest record company in Hong Kong.
The network of relationships of midnight security guard Sun Guofu on the panel has also been unlocked.
Four character cards that had never appeared before popped up with a "ding," making the investigation of the strange event seem like a new world had been opened up. Except for the fourth person's face, which was shrouded in black mist, the other three witnesses had all been dead for decades.
They are Chen Jiajian, chairman of Shengtian Entertainment (nicknamed Uncle Jian), his agent Aunt Hua, and a Filipino maid named Suzanne. It's worth noting that Suzanne is also noted to possess some psychic abilities and tarot card readings, making her a spiritualist.
These three people knew Sun Guofu, that much was clear. So how did they die? Sun Guofu didn't have any thoughts to share yet, and Jian Dieda understood that the mission had to be carried out step by step.
They could only go together to see if they could find Ding Xirong's soul.
He also showed off the black leather suitcase he brought, which contained a set of three items: a gun, bullets, and handcuffs. Sun Guofu was shocked by the brat's lawlessness and couldn't understand why he would bring such things when he was catching ghosts.
Jian Dieda explained frankly: "I'm afraid of ghosts killing me, and I'm also afraid of people wanting me to die. I want my life to be good enough to live."
Sun Guofu scoffed: "This is the result of doing too many bad things."
Jane Dieda replied, "Does being a good person guarantee a good life?"
Sun Guofu couldn't answer, and impatiently cursed, "If you're a good person in this life, you'll be reborn into a good family in the next life, right?"
Jian Dieda glanced at the cigarette in his hand, pinched his nose, and complained, "Smoking indoors and causing lung cancer is also doing a bad thing, Uncle Guofu."
Sun Guofu: "..."
While they were bickering, the elevator had already reached the seventh floor. Based on the experience from the first game, Jian Xiang was going to suffer a second setback tonight, and Sister Xi Rong was already sharpening her knife.
This unusually silent little system disappeared for so long, finally reporting back just before its host stepped out of the elevator to investigate the case.
"Beep! The backup system for managing haunted houses is now activated!"
"You can unlock all the crime files using side quests: including detailed crime backgrounds (murder, suicide, disappearance, etc.) behind each property. Understanding the details can increase your chances of solving the case."
"You can use affinity to unlock the Earthbound Spirit traits: Each spirit has different preferences (hatred type, trigger conditions, sacrifice method)."
"However, it should be noted that the mandatory task of maintaining the property still exists, and players need to regularly 'appease' the spirits to prevent them from turning against the real estate agent."
Jian Dieda pressed the door open button, giving Sun Guofu a cold, robotic look before a fight broke out: "Another night of overtime, so tiring."
"Sigh! So young, yet acting like a good-for-nothing!" said Sun Guofu, the second most hated man in the world, as the elevator stopped. The woman who hated Jian Xiang the most in the world arrived late after the power outage, and her line remained the same classic—
Female Ghost Channel: "...Brother Mike...Brother Mike, good day! It's me, Amanda! Let me treat you to human flesh char siu tonight!!"
"Oh! Another foolish girl!" Sun Guofu spoke before Jian Dieda could, waving a handful of yellow paper and pleading with her, "Turn back before it's too late! If you don't reincarnate and become a bound spirit, you'll never be able to escape this world!!"
But Ding Xirong wouldn't listen to him at all; the person she wanted to find was Jian Xiang.
The building's temperature continued to drop.
In the chilling, ghostly illusion, the entire seventh-floor elevator lobby had transformed into a bloody hell made of human intestines and placenta. Sun Guofu, lacking sufficient fire, was knocked flying and collapsed unconscious in a corner. Jian Dieda silently picked up the yellow paper on the ground, showing no fear, and continued to exorcise demons from the ceiling and walls.
Ding Xirong never expected that he wouldn't be afraid at all. Jian Xiang's evil deeds and his going to hell were retribution and karma. His past aiding and abetting evil and his contempt for his own background only intensified the female ghost's long-standing resentment.
"Jian Xiang, why aren't you afraid of me now?!"
"I'm a ghost! I've come to kill you... Ahhh!! My life is so miserable!"
"Jian Xiang!! Why aren't you afraid of me! You helped the people behind you kill me! You stole my chance to be a mother!!"
She relentlessly pursued Jian Dieda, determined to get an explanation. Otherwise, she wouldn't be content to remain a bound spirit. What she wanted was an apology from a bad person who felt guilty and realized their mistake.
Her scream shattered a window on the roof. The shards of glass were attracted by the magnetic field; if they had actually injured Sun Guofu, he would have been sent to the ICU.
At the crucial moment, Jian Dieda possessed the body, his suit jacket still on, and stood directly in front of him. The debris flew all over his face, and blood instantly stained his shirt. Jian Dieda's body trembled in pain, but he still managed to raise his arm and give the female ghost Ding Xirong in the elevator two warning shots.
The female ghost hadn't been dead long after all; her spirit was frightened and dispersed, temporarily disappearing.
Jian Dieda lowered his lips, overcoming the blurred vision caused by the glass shards, and carried Sun Guofu on his back. His face was covered in blood, and he moved to the other side of the light, making the scene as beautiful as a medieval rose oil painting with petals stained red by thorns.
But then a haunting song drifted down from the rooftop again.
Jane Diedda showed obvious signs of mental exhaustion; the building's magnetic field seemed to be controlling his mind, and the song and the cassette tape really seemed to be tracking him.
Bang.
The young man, his eyes bloodshot and mangled, lay unconscious on the seventh-floor battlefield. Sun Guofu, on the other hand, had been safely taken down. So, someone who had been watching him for a long time couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up.
His appearance was accompanied by the lights of the 15th floor elevator. When the door opened, the scene was exactly as Liao Xinjie described: a figure who looked like a saint appeared singing.
"Lord, is it that you are forgiving this man's unspeakable sins, always allowing him to escape death? But it seems I must meddle again."
"I've only ever heard of bad people being punished and good people being rewarded. I've never seen anyone get dragged into the karma of bad guys just because their soul is too pure. Sigh, I'll help you turn things around. Why don't you treat me to dinner? I'm so hungry. I also love char siu bao, bb."
Mr. Ghost's laughter indicated that he was in a very pleasant mood.
He died in the building a very long time ago. Most people can tell by how old Sun Guofu is now. He used to be a regular customer and acquaintance of the security guards.
Therefore, he knew the cause of Ding Xirong's death.
However, earthbound spirits have their own unique physical characteristics, and he once regretted that he had not been able to save people. Otherwise, he would not have wanted to save Jian Dieda on the one hand, but never really hurt Ding Xirong on the other.
Mr. Ghost said to the omnipresent female ghost, "Miss Ding, I know your resentment, but I also have a secret to tell you."
Ding Xirong's shadow appeared on the wall.
She didn't quite believe the strange man in front of her, yet instinctively felt that he seemed to know some special secret.
The male ghost on the 15th floor told her, "Do you know that this person is not Jian Xiang? Jian Xiang was hit and killed by a bus on the Ghost Festival. Later, this person's soul accidentally entered his body."
Ding Xirong on the 7th floor replied, "He's not Jian Xiang? You're talking nonsense, how could that be!"
The male ghost waved helplessly and began to coax the female neighbor with an exceptionally good temper: "It's true, miss. That day, I was buying rice cakes for the City God and passed by the bus stop. It just so happened that I saw Jian Xiang get hit by a car and die. There are many ghosts during the Hungry Ghost Festival, and when Jian Xiang got into trouble, he was surrounded and eaten by many ghosts. But this person's ghost was fine when it entered his body. Isn't that strange? So I was very curious about why, so I followed him home and found that he really just looked like him. Let me give you an example. There's a Granny Zhu in the Walled City. She has a cat, right? Every time the real Jian Xiang passes by, he kicks it, but this person, I see him secretly sharing his lunch bread with the cat. Isn't that hilarious? Hahahahahahaha?"
Ding Xirong: "……………………Who exactly are you?"
"Ah, I'm not famous, so you can just call me Happy Ghost." The joke the male ghost told her was true, and all the evidence he presented was also real and convincing, making the female ghost seem to have to change her attitude. At this moment, the male ghost, laughing so hard he almost choked, gestured towards someone on the ground: "By the way, don't you want to know how this fake Jian Xiang plans to solve the case? He's come to the Jiali Building several times just to investigate your story, right?"
Ding Xirong was a little annoyed: "Happy Ghost, don't talk nonsense to help him. How dare an ordinary person offend the interests behind this building—"
The male ghost interrupted her, waving his hands and saying, "Hey, I don't know him well, why would I help him lie? If you really want to know the answer, why don't you wait with me and see what he does next? By the way, his friend Ah Zhi, why don't you let him go, Sister Xi Rong?"
Having said all that, the female ghost felt that things were very strange, and it seemed that she had no choice but to forgive the world. However, she did not know that her gullibility was closely related to the happy ghost's previous profession.
She simply assumed that the male ghost on the 15th floor was a "happy ghost".
The female ghost asked, "If I release that Ah Zhi, can you help me solve the case?"
The Happy Ghost shook his head with a smile: "It's not me, it's this house-hunting guy on the ground. He'll help you solve the riddle."
The female ghost said coldly, "What if he wakes up and doesn't agree?"
Happy Ghost patted his chest enthusiastically: "Oh, this is a piece of cake. Leave it to me, leave it to me. I'll move into his house, fight him for the bed, for his lunch, for his bathtub. I definitely won't bother you, OK?"
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Author's Note: The Happy Ghost: "Love is coming! House-hunting guy, wait for me! [Sunglasses]"
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